Sunday, Sept 18
At Your Garden
On Sunday morning, Dad, Mom and Justine left the house about 7 am to go to your garden. This month, 21st would fall on a Wednesday, a week day. We'd be too busy to go then.
Mom will never skip a month.
Never ... (said with stress). :D
There ... That's a promise your mother intends to keep. Help her keep that, Son ... :D
She told Dad while we were walking to the car, "Something always happens at his garden ... since the beginning until now. How can we not go? We must go every month."
Dad agreed.
We arrived at your garden some 20 minutes later.
It was a beautiful day that Sunday. The air was fresh and crisp and everything around us was just very ... still and quiet. The birds must still be sleeping. We love going to your garden, Son ... The short time we spend there allows us to reflect on just how powerful our God is.
No, Mom's not gonna go into details, she hasn't the time for that now. Anyway, you're right beside God. You'd know God better than any one of us. Maybe someday, You could tell us what God's favorite color is. :D
Anyway, after tidying up the garden, Dad brought out the flowers. Mom bought a bunch of red flower balls this time. Dad laid out the flowers. He was cutting the stalks to a shorter length, when Mom looked up the sky at one point and announced like the weather-man,
"Today, the sky is clear."
Justine looked up and added, "Verrrrrrrr - ry clear."
Mom got up and walked to the car to get the Bible and Rosary Book. As she was walking back, she couldn't help but gasped, as she saw a small white trail in the sky ... overlooking your garden site.
OMG ...
Photo taken at 8:28 am.
The tree is about 10 steps away from where we were at.
Mom gave a yell and pointed to the sky, "Look! Look! A white trail. Just after I said the sky is clear."
Dad and Justine both looked up and grinned.
"He must have whispered to me to look up first to see that the sky is clear," Mom said happily.
Then, You must have whispered to your mother,
"Get the bible from the car, Ma ..."
because we were still half-way arranging the flowers, and we were clearly not done. She could have gone to the car only after we were done, but she did not. She stood up to walk to the car, a few brief minutes after the clear sky announcement.
Oh Wow ...
Mom could tell You were just right up there watching us. :D
Hey Dad, Hey Mom, Jusssss ... I'm up here ... :D
Or maybe, You were right beside us in spirit, Mom will never know ... but the white trail was her first sign.
Her Son's near. :D
Your mother was smiling from ear to ear after that. After planting all the flowers in the garden bed, we settled down to say the Rosary. Oh, before that, Justine read God's Word of the Day.
The Lord is close to all who call Him ...
Good ... Good ... Mom calls God quite frequently as You can tell from the call - blog. That's a really good message for today. :D
We started the Rosary.
Everything was just very normal ... as normal could be. Half-way through the first decade of the Rosary, Mom's handphone beeped. She looked over to take a quick glimpse of who the sender might be, and was going to ignore it until after our prayers, when she saw Aunty J's name.
Aunty J from the States. Her sms came while we were saying the Rosary. It must be important.
Mom said, "I have to read J's message ... it may be urgent."
Dad and Justine continued saying the Rosary.
Mom quickly read Aunty J's message received @ 8:25 am :
"Hi guys, found tix to KUL for $1550. I'm about to purchase. Yes or no? Or should we meet somewhere in the middle for family vacation? Quick!!"
Mom sent back a reply immediately, "Wen?"
put down her cell, and went back to Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with Thee ... Umm, was Mama Mary shaking her head?
Aunty J's second message @ 8:27 am :
"Dec 22 - 31. Arrive 22."
Mom : "come. buy. diff go vacation."
Aunty J's third message @ 8:29 am :
"Ok buying now!!!"
Mom : "Yay. Jes, v now at dans garden halfway saying rosary. hehe."
Aunty J's forth message @ 8:30 am :
Hehe ... Ok dans, i'm coming.
Mom read but did not reply. She should be concentrating on the Glorious Mystery. Which decade are we at now?
Aunty J's fifth message @ 8:32 am :
Now i'm crying my eyes out!!! Aiya ...
Mom : Awww Jes. Now got sound of plane flying above us. Omg.
As Mom read Aunty J's sms, would You believe it but there was a loud sound of an airplane flying above us. We could not see the plane though, but could only hear the sound.
Oh, that was definitely You, saying :
Aunty J, you're going home. :D
While Dad and Justine continued with the Rosary, Mom was sms-ing. She must must must tell Aunty J this (@ 8:39 am) :
"When v came, i said to B and J. Look at the sky. It's clear. Very clear. Den i wen to car take bible. Came bac. Omg. There wus a white trail in the sky. Den v say rosary. 1st decade u sms. Omg Jes, there's a second white trail now. Omg, and a second sound of a plane flying above us. Dans wan us to be tog dis dec. His bday time."
Mom was pretty overwhelmed at that time. TWO white trails and TWO times hearing the airplanes in the sky.
What was that if not a coinciDANS?
OMG ...
We ended our prayers with the song FOR THOSE TEARS I DIED. The song that Mom sang to You when we saw You off in the shuttle. This was the song that gave her the strength to go on during the heaviest blessings from the Lord in the last 4 months of your life with us. Yes, that trip to Lourdes in September, was the beginning of God's preparation for You to take up your role in heaven. In January, 4 months later, we sent You off ... with a silent tear.
Gawd, with all the crazy emotional traffic that was going through her mind, she was soon bawling. Sniffing and sobbing away like a 3 year old child as she remembered the moments ...
Our moments ...
Our God-given moments ... Truly, it is in our moment of weakness that we feel God's strength and presence the most.
Photo taken @ 8:49 am.
The second trail. Your mother's second sign.
Two white trails. OMG. :D
Aunty J's sixth message @ 8:53 am :
Ok, can't believe it. I'm coming home!!!!! I'm going to put myself on wait list for the 17!
Mom @ 8:54 am : "V goin home now. V here one hr and wat a powerful moment in d short time."
Aunty J's seventh message @ 8:56 am :
"Yup!!! Very powerful. Something else may happen soon ... knowing dans ..."
Yes, Yes ... and something else did ...
OMG ...
We were in the car, driving home.
The mood was sombre.
The radio was on. There was no good song.
So Mom sang aloud.
If I die young
Bury me in satin
Lay me down on a bed of roses
Sink me in the river at dawn
Send me away with the words of a love song
Lord, make me a rainbow
I'll shine down on my mother
She'll know I'm safe with You
As she stands under my colors
.........
She stopped there. That's as far as she can go without seeing the lyrics. The songs on the radio were still weird and crappy.
Justine said, "Change the station."
Mom switched over to your sister's station. No sooner had she done that, would You believe it but the following lyrics came on. Mom's jaw dropped ... literally.
Oh My Gosh ...
She shot a glance at Dad, who looked back and smiled, and she turned abruptly at Justine, as she pointed to the radio.
OMG ...
Are You kidding her ???
The radio sang ...
If I die young
Bury me in satin
Lay me down on a bed of roses
The Band Perry.
Justine made this video for You on your 10th month.
Click title to view.
OMG, what are the chances???
Mom grabbed her handphone and quickly texted a message to Aunty J.
"If i die young just came on the radio."
The time on the dashboard was 9:11 am. We sang the song together in the car and felt better.
Mom said, "This has happened before. When You say Nothing At All ... remember? Last month ..."
Dad nodded. He was with Mom when that happened last month.
Call 266 : It's Amazing
It was such a wonderful feeling hearing that song in the car. You must have whispered to your sister to change the station.
You were really really really with us, weren't You? :D
No need to answer.
Yes, You were.
Two songs later, COUNT ON ME came on.
Mom just had to smile. How perfect. We were about to reach home and You remember your mother "MUST HAVE TWO" rule before she can take any inciDAN seriously ...
No exception. :D
Yes Daniel ...
We can count on You to be there ...
For always, Son ...
For always and always ... <3
